<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Through the Mask by vojavodun</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26453743">Through the Mask</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/vojavodun/pseuds/vojavodun'>vojavodun</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Acts of Aggression [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blood and Violence, Dark, Dubious Consent, Fighting, M/M, Murder, Non-Consensual Kissing, Oral Sex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:49:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,366</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26453743</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/vojavodun/pseuds/vojavodun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Joker meets Bruce Wayne, puts two and two together, and suspects he is the Batman — so, the next time he sees him, he wants to make sure he’s right.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Joker (DCU)/Bruce Wayne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Acts of Aggression [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1316288</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>72</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Through the Mask</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The beginning leeches off the event in the dark knight movie where the Joker sets up Harvey Dent and Rachel to be killed, but Harvey gets saved and Rachel dies after he tricks Batman. Here, Bruce visits Harvey in the hospital as he recovers prior to the Joker blowing it up (but that part is irrelevant)</p><p>*murder is tagged but there are mentions only</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Bruce Wayne walked into Harvey Dent’s hospital room and saw him lying there still and sedated, he also saw Rachel. He felt a strong, uncomfortable pain in his chest. A nurse had left them alone and the room was very quiet, quiet enough that Bruce could hear quiet chatter and rhythmic footsteps coming from the hallway. The volume of activity in the hospital had decreased since he arrived, as it always did during the progression of the night.</p><p>Bruce sat on the side of the bed where he could see the half of Harvey’s face that was intact. But he couldn’t see it too well, the sun was virtually gone and the lights in the room were very gentle, softly glowing. Harvey was out cold and barely breathing, heavily medicated to mask the agonizing pain caused by severe burns. </p><p>Bruce rested his head in his hands. While thankful that Harvey survived, he felt tremendous guilt and sadness, and mourned Rachel with a very heavy heart.</p><p>The hallway had gone almost completely quiet, but then the door opened, and Bruce looked up. The nurse was back, and he hoped to have some of his questions about Harvey’s condition answered.</p><p>He felt true shock when he didn’t see the friendly face and sympathetic smile of the nurse; instead, he saw the Joker’s dark, sinister eyes above the surgical mask he was wearing to complete his disguise. He was dressed in a nurse’s uniform, surgical gloves, and a wig, and was holding a clipboard stuffed with many papers. The Joker was a special man, and, in place of a name badge, had personalized his dress by clipping a joker card to it with a safety pin.</p><p>The Joker stood still by the door for a few seconds after softly closing it. He was not expecting Harvey to have a guest, especially not Bruce Wayne of all people. The man was sitting back in a chair, his ankle resting on his knee and his chin on his fist, but he had raised his head above it when he saw the Joker’s face. His gaze, which the Joker imagined was previously somber, was now alert, but he didn’t look very scared, a reaction that the Joker was used to eliciting. His interest was effectively piqued.</p><p>“Well… this is a surprise. I know you...” the Joker paused and took off the mask to reveal his painted mouth, with which he flashed a small but nasty smile. “Well, I’ve heard of you. Bruce Wayne.” He reached into the white dress he was wearing to retrieve a pistol and a silencer to go with it, and then his smile disappeared. “Are you gonna give me trouble?”</p><p>“No,” Bruce said, and he meant it — he couldn’t act out like this and have the Joker know his true identity. He needed to leave as soon as possible, and his brain was running a mile a minute thinking about how he was going to get out of the situation smoothly and without incident. His expression was nonchalant, but he didn’t take his eyes off the Joker for a second and watched him outfit the pistol with the silencer, then point it at the door once he was finished. He began to stare at Harvey’s bandaged, disfigured face.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” Bruce asked curiously, trying not to fidget.</p><p>What remained of Harvey’s face wasn’t much to look at, so the Joker instead directed his attention to Bruce and looked at him as if intensely intrigued. Bruce didn’t like it one bit.</p><p>“You know, we’ve never met before. But I feel like we have.” The Joker sat on the foot of the hospital bed and casually crossed his skinny, bare legs. “Now isn't that funny?”</p><p>Bruce tried not to glare at the clown when he replied, “I'm just glad to see Harvey made it.”</p><p>The Joker sighed and boredly said, “You are, huh?” Then he looked thoughtful, and tilted his head to the side. “Are you sure we haven't met?”</p><p>Bruce couldn’t help the small smirk that decided to appear. The Joker looked pleased when he saw it, raised an eyebrow, and matched it with one of his own, leaning forward. Bruce sighed, shook his head, and stood, accidentally sending his chair back with a small screech.</p><p>The Joker shushed Bruce with a finger to his lips and gestured to Harvey, who was still unconscious. He began to speak with a quieter voice. “Is there anything wrong with polite conversation? You should be used to that, rich boy.”</p><p>“Why haven’t you killed me yet?” Bruce asked curiously, straightening his jacket like he was making ready to leave. He didn’t want to appear panicked, but also wanted to appear somewhat normal in order to throw the Joker off the scent, to separate himself from the persona of Batman that he was familiar with. But the Joker was not stupid. What made Bruce the most nervous was the possibility that it was too late. </p><p>The Joker stood up, but left the gun on the foot of the bed. There was always tension between them but it truly began to mount as the Joker approached; despite this, Bruce couldn’t find it in himself to step back. Expecting the odor of sweat and general stink, he instead smelled a sweet, floral perfume, and his nose twitched. The Joker inspected his face then looked into his eyes carefully. His smile grew with every passing torturous second. </p><p>“Who saved Rachel?” the Joker asked, his voice deep but soft. He noticed something change in Bruce’s dark eyes, and not only that, but saw something there that was familiar — something he had seen before in the eyes of the Batman. He was connecting the dots in his head, growing more and more sure of what he believed to be true.</p><p>Though his expression was stoic, Bruce felt his heart drop to his stomach. It was over, and the Joker knew it too. Violating his personal space, the Joker brought a switchblade out of nowhere and held it under his jaw.  </p><p>“Don’t say anything. You know what?” He asked rhetorically, so close to his face that they were nearly touching noses, “I think I’ll be seeing you around.” Bruce didn’t think he would hurt him and therefore didn't move, but he was wrong. The Joker nicked a cut about an inch long above his jaw near his chin, not deep enough to seriously hurt, but enough to make him bleed. He tucked the knife away and licked his lips before speaking. “In another circumstance I might bandage you up, but I’d better get going. There's no telling when the Batman might show up.” </p><p>Bruce knew the Joker was trying to provoke him, but he didn't move, nor did he make a face. “You should hurry,” he said, and he touched the cut. It wasn’t too bad.</p><p>“Certainly.” The Joker didn't look bothered by his lack of reaction and took a slow step back before lowering his voice to a dramatic, raspy half-whisper. “He may be watching me at this very moment.” </p><p>He turned away to retrieve his mask and pistol, which he held to his chest and hid beneath the clipboard. Before he went out the door, he ripped the playing card off his dress and threw it Bruce’s direction. </p><p>Bruce stayed at the hospital until an actual nurse arrived to tend to Harvey’s needs and politely told him to leave. If she had seen the Joker, she certainly didn’t let on; she was very calm and courteous, and Bruce was left all the more curious as to how the Joker got in undetected.</p><p>When he returned home, he examined the dark red cut that now decorated the side of his chin. He cleaned it and bandaged it before going to bed, but was rattled the entire night and could hardly sleep. Why did the Joker show up in the first place? What was he planning to do? It was highly likely that his presence at the hospital thwarted the Joker’s plan; there was no telling what that maniac would have done had he not happened to be there.</p><p>A few days later, Batman tracked the Joker to the shipyard after he came across a violent scene in an area with an especially high crime rate. In a narrow alley there were two men upright against the wall. From afar it looked like they were sleeping, but they had been posed that way; one had a slit throat, and another had been stabbed several times. Both men were dressed quite nicely, and Bruce assumed that they were mob guys, likely watchmen. </p><p>Judging by the trail of blood down the alley and toward a side door, there was a third who had been severely injured, badly enough to have to drag himself inside, but not enough to have died on the spot. They hadn’t been dead for long, nor had they been yet discovered. Had he come a few minutes earlier, he wouldn’t have been looking at two murder victims. Each man had a joker card tucked into his jacket pocket, and Bruce collected them.</p><p>The man who had his throat slit was positioned with his hands cradling something in his lap; or rather, two things. Bruce looked closer and saw that the object was a boat folded out of plain white paper, and beside it lay a fragment of steel so discolored that he couldn’t tell what its original color was. He removed the paper boat and inspected the metal, an object clearly out of place and so unusual that he knew the Joker had left it behind on purpose. The metal was far too thick and strong still despite its condition, and upon inspection and consideration of what it was found alongside, he deduced it was once part of a ship. Not only that, but it was the murder weapon. </p><p>He doubted that the Joker went inside to take part of the meeting, and his suspicion was correct; a few seconds later, he heard loud commotion and the side door burst open. The maimed man had made it to the group and informed them of what happened. The Batman was out of sight by the time that some men had gathered around the victims.</p><p>He reached the shipyard around midnight and began to explore the area; it was quiet and ominous, dark and very eerie. There were tall lights that illuminated even the restricted areas, but it wasn’t sufficient for a clear view of the surroundings. Shadows were cast everywhere and no one was around, so Batman was able to move about freely without fear of being seen. In an older section of the yard that desperately needed an overhaul after years of serious neglect and development elsewhere, he came upon a small warehouse that had most of its windows boarded up.</p><p>The building was dilapidated and likely no longer in active use, as were others in the immediate area, though it wasn’t too worn out that it couldn’t have been used as a simple storehouse. The large doors were held closed with a lock and chain. There was a window that had only a single plank of wood crudely covering it, the others had been ripped out. Once the last piece was torn off and thrown aside, smooth entry was possible.</p><p>The Joker was sitting on the ground, partially hunched over something on the floor, and looked up when he heard the noise caused by Batman’s entrance. The Joker wasn’t smiling. His face paint was faded and especially patchy like he had rubbed some of it off. A pistol lay by his side but he didn’t reach for it. Bruce was put off by his calmness and lack of reaction; a part of him was nearly disappointed that he wasn't greeted with a smile. </p><p>“This was crude, even for you.” He wordlessly threw the piece of steel he collected from the crime scene at the Joker as he walked further in the room.</p><p>“I had to do something to grab your attention...” the Joker reached for the shard, picked it up for Batman to see, and coyly said, “It worked.” </p><p>There were two dusty light bulbs strung from the ceiling to light up the single-room shed, and there was a glass window clouded with dirt from which some moonlight came through, but a lot was left to the shadows. Bruce saw a bunch of random objects the Joker likely collected and brought into the place. Beneath the window was a table and chair, which had a few knives, an array of rusty tools, and a large box of matches on top. His overcoat was draped over the chair.</p><p>A few sticks of dynamite were piled in the corner, and there were chains, some buckets and drums, and all kinds of junk on the floor. The Joker was bent over a pile of scrap. Bruce thought this was his current hideout, dare he say home, but it was highly unlikely that he ever settled in one place for an extended period of time. His lack of a permanent — or even semi-permanent — base of operations was one of the things that made Batman’s pursuit of the Joker so complex, interesting, and difficult; the clown was always finding new places to turn into a foxhole.</p><p>“What was the point?” Bruce asked, coming closer. “Trying to get yourself back to Arkham?”</p><p>With that, a familiar, annoying grin crept onto the Joker’s face. “I think you’ve done a better job at keeping me in check, Batman… you’ve definitely shown that you can if you really try. Besides, with you, I’m grounded.”</p><p>“You’re coming with me tonight,” Bruce said gravely as he approached with heavy steps, his dark cape catching air behind him. The Joker jumped up and backwards with a high pitched giggle before the Batman could close in. </p><p>“Where to? Your mansion, perhaps?” </p><p>Batman grabbed the Joker and threw him against the table, knocking everything off of it and causing it to hit the wall with a loud crash. The Joker stretched and reached behind to break the nearby window with his fist. He blindly searched for a shard of glass large enough to yield as a weapon, which was a rather silly thing to do. When he found one, he swung his arm around, but the Batman dodged him. Glass wouldn’t hurt him anyways, his suit was strong. His only truly vulnerable spot was the lower half of his face, but he wasn’t afraid at the moment and managed to take the piece of glass away, slicing the Joker’s hand when he did so.</p><p>He didn't fully realize he was pressed up close to the Joker until he heard a mildly sensual sound. Instead of pushing him off, the Joker grabbed him by the neck and crashed their lips together, an effort that didn't last for more than a second. He bit Batman's lower lip before he pulled away. </p><p>Batman pushed him away angrily and took a step back to wipe his mouth and recover from that unpleasant surprise. But the Joker didn't move, and instead lay back on the table completely with his legs hanging off, swinging them like he was relaxing. Bruce was expecting a profane remark that reflected his romantic delusions, but the Joker was silent; the smug look on his face said it all.</p><p>He was then dragged off the table by Batman, but somehow caught his footing so he could stand and fight back. Bruce was confused because the Joker wasn’t flailing, punching, or pushing him away, exactly; instead he found himself trying to escape the Joker’s grasp, as it seemed like he was trying to give him a hug. The Joker managed a powerful step closer and shoved his face sideways to kiss his lips again, and he stuck his tongue in Batman’s mouth to taste the blood that came from the unnecessarily hard bite he had imposed on him just seconds ago. </p><p>The Joker nearly screamed with laughter when Batman harshly pushed him away and spat on the ground.</p><p>“You think I’m mean, don’t you? Have you ever thought about what I would be like if you were nicer to me?”</p><p>“What, that I might enjoy your advances? That you might not bite me when you kiss me if I’d just let you?” He said indignantly. The Joker didn’t reply but gave him a pointed look that let him know he was on the right track. “I don’t think about shit like that.”</p><p>The Joker raised his eyebrows, and an amused smirk replaced his big smile. “Oh? I don’t think I have to tell you that I don’t believe you.” The Batman was about to speak but he kept going. “I can think of at least one time when you fucked me and enjoyed it — you never think of those pleasant memories?”</p><p>The Joker watched Batman charge at him and ducked to grab around his middle so he could pull him around and possibly down, but Batman was too strong and thrust his knee upwards at such an angle that sent the Joker onto the ground instead. He landed on his stomach and looked back to see Batman approaching with a quickness, so he tried to crawl away. He was too dizzy to get very far, and was rolled over with a kick to the side before he was pulled to his feet.</p><p>Hunched over himself, Bruce nearly felt bad for him, but that feeling quickly disappeared and was replaced by shock and terrible pain in his side when the Joker hit him hard with a claw hammer. He noticed Batman’s hold weaken, so he took a quick step back, aimed, and swung at his head. He missed and got punched hard, hard enough to cause him to start bleeding immediately, but not hard enough to knock him out. The Joker flailed and nearly lost his footing, but whirled around and managed to clip Batman on the temple with the broad side of the hammer. Though it wasn’t a very strong hit, the noise emitted was sharp and loud. Then the Joker shoved him hard, albeit clumsily, and the Batman fell. </p><p>The Joker chucked the hammer away, climbed on top of him, and started punching. Batman was able to avoid some of them, but the terrible pain in his head made him move slowly. The Joker had blood dribbling down his nose and chin, and Bruce could feel some droplets land on his face. Growing impatient, the Joker reached and grabbed an old pipe wrench off on the ground nearby to beat his head in with it. </p><p>Bruce was filled with genuine panic when he saw it, and he thought the Joker was going to try and beat him unconscious, if not to death. One hit unfortunately connected on his shoulder before he found space to stick his arm up and snatch it away, which was easy to do because the Joker was holding it with his bloody hand, and his grip was slippery. Bruce tossed it with just enough strength that it was out of reach; even doing that felt like it sucked a lot of energy away. His head was pounding and he was feeling very faint. </p><p>“Let me see, let me see,” the Joker chanted as their fight quickly turned into a grappling match. Bruce wasn't getting very far, he was feeling weak from being hit in the head multiple times, but the Joker wasn't in much better condition; Bruce could feel him trembling when he grabbed his face and tilted it this and that way, trying to find a good angle in the poor light. It was then that Bruce realized what he was trying to do.</p><p>The Joker bent over him closely, inspecting the lower half of his face. The Batman was trying to turn his head away, but he wouldn’t let him. Then the Joker found what he was looking for: a partially healed mark, right where he had nicked Bruce Wayne when he saw him at the hospital. He wiped some of his own blood off of the Batman’s face, and touched the mark almost tenderly with a hand that was shaking badly.</p><p>“It really is you,” he said when he saw the mark on his chin. It had closed and was healing well but was still visible nonetheless, and Bruce barely managed enough strength to push him off when he felt the Joker’s grip let up. “Bruce Wayne... Batman. A mask to the name, a face to the mask...” he said, unsmiling, panting furiously. “I’m impressed with you. You kept face when I saw you last — quite a good looking one, too.”</p><p>Bruce rolled over onto his side and the Joker sat flat on the ground, leaning back on his hands, his long legs extended in front of him. He didn’t move, except to wipe his bloody nose and mouth on the shoulder of his jacket. Bruce wasn’t sure if he was more furious or worried.</p><p>After a short moment to recoup, gain control over his limbs, and remember just where he was and who he was with, Bruce crawled the short distance to the Joker and grabbed him by the throat to drag him to and push him against the nearest wall. He actually didn’t mean to, but he knocked the Joker against it hard, and more blood started coming from his nose. He grimaced and knelt beside him, then let go completely so the Joker was able to breathe almost entirely freely, and that he did, taking large, noisy breaths through his mouth while trying to blow blood away also, accidentally getting some on Batman’s mostly unmarked face in the process.</p><p>“And now what?” Bruce asked calmly but seriously. “You know. Don’t pretend…” he trailed off, mildly alarmed at the stream of blood coming from the Joker’s nose. He grabbed the Joker’s wrist and guided it there, motioning that he should try and stop the stream. “You would make a big production out of it and tell everybody — I don’t think you would, but I’ll put you away for good before I’m jeopardized or blackmailed by you.”</p><p>The Joker outstretched his other hand, silently asking Bruce what he should do with that one too. The cut on his palm was deep and dirty; he would likely need a serious bandage and a tetanus shot. Bruce pushed it away. The Joker sighed and set his head back against the wall lazily. He did what Bruce suggested and placed a finger under his nose to stem the bleeding.</p><p>“You’re right, sweetheart — I wouldn't give that information to the public. You know why? ‘Cause they’d take you away. And if that happened, I think something really bad would happen to you. And no one can replace you.”</p><p>Bruce didn’t notice that the Joker was hard until the Joker looked down and then back up, silently telling him to look at his lap; he did so and saw the Joker’s other hand resting on and partially outlining his bulge. The Joker appeared to be fighting back a smile, even while blocking his nose. Bruce ignored it and the flushed feeling that suddenly overwhelmed him, forcing his voice to be firm, especially deep, and strong — he was Batman, after all.</p><p>“There are many people willing to do better for this city and transform it for good. If given the chance, we’ll see that change.”</p><p>It was very strange for them to be sitting together like this, conversing; neither man was putting up a fight to immobilize the other; Batman wasn’t even restraining him. They were both mostly still, even the Joker, who had his hands to himself, not fighting, just listening and talking in turn. </p><p>“What are the odds of someone replacing you and adopting the same code you have? I’d say pretty low. How many people would be willing to go against me, tooth and claw, the way you do, without killing me?” He placed a hand on the hard chest of Batman’s suit, and knocked his knuckles against it. Slightly wary, but feeling kind of bad, Bruce took his hand off gently and placed it back on his lap. The Joker smiled and tilted his head. “Hm? I’ll tell you — not many. Y’know, you've come close to breaking your own rules now that I think about it.”</p><p>“There are more people with real merit than you think.” </p><p>The Joker stared into Batman’s eyes, the black paint around them, and the faint glimmer that the little light provided. He remembered Bruce Wayne as he saw him in the hospital: tidy and well-dressed with neat, dark hair, a straight nose, and a clear, healthy complexion. When he saw that handsome face, the Joker saw the charm and confidence that he could attribute to a playboy, the aura that made people gravitate towards him. He certainly had the looks. He’d never forget those dark, sensual, brooding eyes: the eyes of the Batman. The Joker wanted to see him in the light, to clearly see the face of the man who’d been hiding under the guise of Batman all this time, the man he liked to fight, the man whose attention he'd been craving for what felt like ages. His heart rate began to increase as he thought about it.</p><p>“But there are none like <em>you</em>.” The Joker suddenly pushed Batman onto his back and pressed his weight down on him. “I think you're pretty special, Batman. Billionaire. You're an anomaly in Gotham.” Oddly, Bruce didn’t fight back with real vigor. He could tell the Joker wasn’t interested in truly fighting him at the moment, and he was right; the Joker wasn’t trying to overpower Bruce in order to hurt him. He was interested in something else, something Bruce was trying hard not to think about. </p><p>“And now I think you're even sweeter. Socialite by day, vigilante by night. Oh my. Do you know what this means?” Bruce didn’t respond, or at least not fast enough for the Joker’s liking, and he huffed nasally. “You don’t like to cooperate. This means we've got a shared secret, just like friends and lovers.”</p><p>“Which we will never be.”</p><p>The Joker pushed his weight down harder and lowered his head so his eyes were out of sight. His mouth was close to Bruce’s ear and his voice was slightly hushed, but still gloomy and gritty. </p><p>“I swear I like you more and more every day.” The Joker raised his bare hand to Bruce’s face, half-cradling his cheek. The somewhat tender gesture made Bruce’s cock stir, and he just about froze. “I know the best way to get to you, and the best way to make you come to me. It isn’t hard — all I have to do is make you mad, Bruce.” </p><p>Hearing his name come out of the Joker’s mouth felt wrong, but if that wasn't enough, the Joker leaned down and gave him a kiss. Though it was sudden and unexpected, it was the most gentle kiss the Joker had given him yet. Bruce pushed him off harshly after a second and got to his feet, barely allowing the Joker to get his jollies. </p><p>“Don't call me that,” he said darkly, blushing, and becoming more irritated. </p><p>The Joker licked his lips, now sitting on the ground. He wrinkled his nose cutely. “Sir? Honey? How about ‘gorgeous’?”</p><p>“Stop talking.” Bruce stepped towards the Joker who scooted backwards with a terrible gleam in his eye. </p><p>“If you don't wanna talk, why don't you kiss me instead? Or, maybe you should stuff your cock in my mouth — that might really shut me up, and I’m sure you’d like that, Mr. Wayne.” </p><p>Bruce had no idea how to organize his thoughts, and couldn’t. All of his emotions seemed to run together, and the adrenaline surging through his system did not help. So he acted without true direction.</p><p>The Joker’s bloody grin grew as he watched Batman throw caution to the wind and dive on top of him, and he immediately started to push back. Fighting to be on top, the Joker struck upwards with a sneaky punch, and Bruce could taste blood in his mouth. With every fight, the Joker was proving to be a formidable match.</p><p>The Joker’s eyes were crazed when he managed to get on top, and he grabbed Batman’s neck to bang his head into the floor. Three times was enough for Bruce’s eyes to glaze over, and the Joker scooted up his chest and frantically began to unbutton and unzip his trousers. Bruce pushed him off with renewed force before he could.</p><p>“Don’t.” Bruce was not looking for a repeat of what happened when the Joker had immobilized and used him for what felt like hours; so, as firmly as possible, he said, <em>“Stop.”</em></p><p>The Joker sat back on his knees, fisting his cock through open fly. “Make me.” He raised an eyebrow and licked his lips. He wasn’t frowning, but he didn’t look upset either; it was one of the Joker’s special, mysterious looks, one that made Bruce stare and grow warm. </p><p>He slowly stood, trying to get over his dizziness, and the Joker stayed still, staring at him while he stroked himself. Only when he saw Bruce take a step closer to the door did he jump to his feet. The Joker giggled when he took another step forward and launched himself at the Batman with force enough to send them both falling down.</p><p>The Joker was beginning to grind down on him, rubbing his cock against the ridges of his suit, even though it couldn’t have felt very good. Bruce wasn’t about to let the Joker get off on him while he lay passively, so he knocked him off and hit him on the shoulder with his elbow, effectively throwing him off balance. </p><p>He was surprisingly quick and crawled just out of reach, then jumped on Bruce while he was still hunched over. The Joker landed in an awkward position, and Bruce huffed and tried to push him off. One of his arms was unfortunately caught beneath one of the Joker’s legs, and he was not letting up. He could see the Joker’s cock when he turned his head, hard and way too close for comfort. </p><p>The Joker began to busy himself with trying to get his other arm down. There was no doubt in Bruce’s mind that he was going to either try and masturbate over his face or get him to suck him off. So, barely thinking and hoping to catch the Joker off guard, Bruce leaned up and turned his head slightly to lick the end of his cock. </p><p>It was a dirty move that happened in a split second and lasted just as long. The Joker made a strange noise like a high-pitched yelp, most definitely surprised, and lost his grip. That was just as Bruce had hoped, and he snatched his wrist away before shoving the Joker back.</p><p>“Oh, no — you can't do that and then stop!” The Joker was flushed and breathing heavily, eyes wide and alert. He tried to straddle him again, but Bruce sat up and knocked him over. </p><p>The pipe wrench from earlier was close by, and the Joker scrambled to pick it up. Bruce kept his distance and took a step back as the Joker got to his feet, his purple trousers and jacket wrinkled and dirty.</p><p>“I don’t see you scared much, but I saw real fear in your eyes when you first saw this.” Bruce didn’t move, but prepared to in case the Joker decided to either throw it or rush him. He took a threatening step forward and began to stroke his cock. “Get down.” He watched the Batman carefully, standing tall and still, and observed the curious look in his eyes, silently saying you wouldn’t. “No, I would,” the Joker stated, responding to something Bruce never said.</p><p>He was exasperated. “Why did you kill those men?” </p><p>“Oh no, not now,” the Joker muttered, “Not them. This is about me and you.” He pointed at Bruce with the wrench and licked his lips. “Get on the floor before I make you.”</p><p>Bruce wasn’t about to call his bluff, because it wasn’t a bluff at all — the Joker would undoubtedly thrash him with that wrench if provoked. Moderately anxious, but thinking he would be able to get out of the Joker’s grasp, he slowly knelt. The Joker took a couple large and quick steps forward to close the gap and pushed Bruce backwards. He instinctively shoved back when the Joker did that which was a mistake, for the next thing he felt was a not-very-soft warning hit to the side of the head. </p><p>The Joker arranged Batman the way he wanted him so he could have his hands free: he pressed one arm down against the ground with his knee, and pinned the other one close to his side. The Joker wasn’t looking at his eyes but could feel the Batman’s furious gaze.</p><p>This was a familiar position for both men, one that Bruce didn’t think back to favorably. The Joker was above him, still very hard and excited. Now was not the time to think of all manner of salacious things, but Bruce couldn’t help but stare at the Joker’s cock since it was right there in his line of sight; it matched his complexion, and made for a good mouthful; it looked too nice, almost like it didn’t really belong on his body. He began to turn red, and his nose twitched beneath the mask.</p><p>“Bite me and see what happens,” the Joker said earnestly, hefting the long wrench over his shoulder. He stroked his cock once, then twice, before guiding it closer. Bruce’s mouth was a straight line, his lips pressed together firmly. The Joker opened his own red mouth, demonstrating what he wanted Bruce to do. Go on, he mouthed. </p><p>To avoid a fractured skull, or worse, he did it; he opened his mouth. The noise the Joker made sent a rush through Bruce’s system, and his cock was just as hard. He initially lay passive, but began to put an effort in; the faster he made him come, the faster it would be over. In the depths of his mind was a thought that he wanted to please the Joker, but as quickly as it came, he tried to push that notion far, far away. Regardless, he began to suck with vigor and took more of his cock in his mouth. Bruce was hoping the Joker would drop the wrench, but he didn’t; he didn’t really let up at all. In fact, his arms were numb since the Joker’s full weight was pressed upon them.</p><p>Even through the intense bliss he was feeling, fully enjoying the hot mouth around his cock, the Joker managed a giggle when he felt Bruce's tongue moving along the underside. He was delighted that Batman was putting his mouth to good use and trying to do a good job, even though he could have chosen to just lay there (and bite, or fight back). The Joker moved his hips slowly to get more of his cock in Bruce’s mouth. It was a strange position they were in, a strangely nice one. He expected the strong, stubborn Batman to at least try to push him off, but shockingly, he was still and compliant.</p><p>It didn't take much more to send the Joker over the edge; with his mouth hung open, he made some especially immodest, filthy noises, squeezed his eyes shut when he came. Bruce grimaced when he felt the Joker’s bitter spunk on his tongue. After the Joker pulled his cock out, he immediately put a finger on Bruce's lips, silently telling him to swallow; so, with eyes full of contempt, he swallowed, which made the Joker look very pleased and elated indeed, and he patted his cheek. </p><p>When Bruce started to move, the Joker knocked him on the head with force drifting from the realm of tolerable to painful. “Easy, easy…” he said, “Not yet.” Bruce stilled and looked away as he stroked himself in front of his face a couple times before zipping up his trousers. When Bruce looked back a few seconds later, the Joker was looking towards his feet. Despite the thickness and quality of his suit, he could feel the Joker’s hand pressing on and around his crotch and inner thighs slowly. </p><p>“Are you hard, Bruce?” He asked curiously. He leaned a bit too much as he reached and Bruce felt some pressure alleviate on his arm, so he pushed hard and managed to grab the wrench. The Joker whipped around but it was too late to try and get him back down. He could see that the Batman would no longer be compliant and scrambled to his feet, but not fast enough to escape his swing, which made impact on his shoulder and really hurt. </p><p>Once some distance had been put between them, the Joker found his pistol and held it as a mock threat — he wasn’t going to use it on him, not really. Not seriously. But Bruce now held the pipe wrench, and he needed an intimidating weapon of his own to match him. He was sure that if he said or did the right thing, the Batman would hardly hesitate to do some serious damage with it. He was giggling as he caught his breath.</p><p>“You're lucky again tonight...” Bruce said, dropping the wrench after several tense seconds. His voice was slightly faint, almost entirely without its falsely deep timbre; the pain in his upper body was really beginning to set in. He was seriously out of his senses. The clown had claimed two new victims yet he was letting him go about his business. Hardly thinking clearly, he said halfheartedly, “You’re lucky that I'm not taking you in.” </p><p>The Joker wrinkled his nose at him with a cheeky smile and raised a hand, silently telling him to wait. He walked off towards the table and crouched beside it, searching the ground for something. A few seconds later, he picked up something small.</p><p>“A special gift,” the Joker said, holding it out. Bruce hardly moved, so the Joker closed the distance and placed the object in his hand. It was a skeleton key; all the notches had been filed off except for one at the end. “Now you can enter through the door. I’ll be here for three more days.” Like he read Bruce’s mind, he closed his fist around the key firmly. “Don’t let me see you throw it away.”</p><p>Bruce decided to voice an inference: “Is that a promise you’ll stay here and won’t do anything stupid for three days if I come back?” He knew that interpretation may have been far out, but perhaps the Joker would hear the challenge in there and consider it, especially if he thought that Bruce would return if he did so. Bruce was sure his statement would intrigue and amuse him, regardless. He was right -- the Joker cocked an eyebrow and began to smile. His teeth were tinged red with blood.</p><p>“It is whatever you make of it, handsome.” He tapped the bat on his chest piece with the gun once, twice, thrice. “Three days.” Then he walked to the stuff he was sitting among upon Bruce’s arrival and nudged a couple objects with his foot. “Now, let me clean up the mess you made, unless you want to help. But…” his eyes were glittering, “It’s only gonna get worse for both of us if you stay.” </p><p>“Three days,” Bruce repeated it like it was his conditional promise, hoping to make the Joker believe that he would come back should he behave. The Joker hummed and looked well pleased.</p><p> Unwilling to engage with him any longer, Bruce left him alone, feeling a strange type of guilt among a myriad of other things like pain, exasperation, and uncomfortable arousal. </p><p>The Joker was truly out of his mind if he sincerely thought Bruce was going to return for any reason but to seize him. Bruce hardly knew what to make of the invitation and for a moment considered disregarding it, but became embarrassed with himself when he realized it was somewhat tempting. </p><p>What else would the Joker do and say such a thing for? It could be a trap, but Bruce didn’t really believe that (at least not a violent trap). He had come to learn that the Joker was a lecherous fiend, and his motivations were likely just as dirty. Despite this reasoning, Bruce also didn’t fully believe that he would see the Joker there if he came back within three days. He considered for a moment alerting Jim Gordon and his officers, but the Joker would be able to notice them coming like a hound, and such an event would not go down well. </p><p>That night, he slowly took off his suit and assessed the physical damage: a swollen lip, at least two major bumps on his head, and a couple of dark bruises scattered all over that he knew would look and feel much worse over the next few days. He brushed the taste of blood and come out of his mouth over and over again until his entire mouth stung with bitter freshness.</p><p>The dingy key was placed in a drawer, and he didn’t touch it for two days. In those two days he didn’t hear any new reports of a single crime committed by or affiliated with the Joker, not even a sighting of him. He was mildly impressed. </p><p>Once those two days had passed since the Joker invited him back, Bruce, as Batman, returned to the shipyard. Feeling much better than he had that night, he was prepared to drag the Joker out kicking and screaming to turn him in. He was certainly capable of overpowering the Joker, this time there would be no excuses on his part. He was determined to not let the circumstances and his emotions get the best of him. But upon his arrival at the yard he wasn’t entirely sure what to expect; the Joker could have been playing him for a fool; perhaps he wasn’t there at all.</p><p>It was late, quiet, and just as deserted as before. He approached the warehouse easily. The window he had entered through before was now completely boarded up. The lock and chain was still in place, keeping the doors securely shut. He didn’t really need the key, he could have entered through a window, but he used it anyway, and it fit perfectly. It took an extra twist to get the old lock open, but it worked, and he removed the chain, then slowly opened the creaking doors. </p><p>The two light bulbs were still on, and the dim light made the room look sad and scary at the same time. It was nearly empty; all the tools were gone as was the junk; even the table and chair had been removed. In the corner was a dark mass, and it took Bruce a few seconds to realize it was a corpse in the fetal position. It couldn’t have been there long, for there was no smell. The Joker was nowhere in sight. </p><p>On the floor there was a piece of paper, the brightest thing in the entire room. It was folded over once and held down by a gold ring, likely taken from the dead man. Bruce picked it up tentatively and read the note inside. </p><p>
  <em>Someone got to me before you did, but don't worry! Like always, either you’ll find me, or I'll come to you.</em>
</p><p>Bruce considered that potential threat, folded the note, and kept it. He closed the shed’s doors behind him but left the lock and chain detached. The body would be discovered soon, granted someone came by that section of the yard; if not, the smell would certainly attract attention at some point. </p><p>He threw the key away as he left, and it was easily concealed among the piles of scrap.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thanks for reading !</p><p>I kept doing a switcheroo between batman-bruce-batman-bruce once again because I just couldn't write batman this, batman that, batman batman batman (we all know who he is). I conceptualized this as a standalone but couldn't separate it from the other two stories I wrote so now the series is not done!... I think it needs one more piece</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>